


Cultural Differences

by kuonji



Series: The Ocean Is Not My Home [4]
Category: Free!
Genre: Curiosity, Flirting, Gen, Humor, M/M, Merpeople
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-02
Updated: 2018-03-02
Packaged: 2019-03-25 13:46:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 606
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13836030
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kuonji/pseuds/kuonji
Summary: Nagisa has questions.  Lots of questions.





	Cultural Differences

**Author's Note:**

> I'm working on a sequel to "The Ocean Is Not My Home", but I have to kick a couple of ideas out of my brain first. ;)

"Do you eat raw fish? I mean, with those teeth, you could just--" Nagisa mimed tearing into a fish, or possibly a cob of corn, though the context favored the former.

"No. We cook. Just not with fire."

"Oh! How do you cook? Could you show me? Could you _teach_ me? If I could cook without a stove... It'd be great for camping, wouldn't it? Especially when it rains. Do you have weather in the ocean? Do you get, like, hot beach days where you splash around in the sand and build seaweed castles or something?"

Haru sighed.

***

"You don't wear any clothes at all, right? Is that why you're always stripping? Is it hard to play sports naked, though? Do you play sports? What kind of sports do you play?"

"I don't know. I haven't paid attention to that."

"Don't you watch any sports while you're down there? Do you have television? There's always baseball or soccer on here. Oh, I guess you wouldn't play soccer, at least." Nagisa dissolved into giggles.

Haru sighed.

***

"Do you take baths? Do you smell? Can you get dirty? Do you use soap? Wouldn't it melt away?"

"Yes, it would."

"Do you have showers? Oh, do you have high-pressure nozzles? Massagers? What would you use instead of massage oil if you get a massage?"

Haru sighed.

***

"Do you swim? I mean, do you race, like we do track? Is there a high jump? What would be the equivalent of swimming, I wonder? Crawling with your hands? Do you do that? Do babies crawl?"

"How would I know that?"

"Haven't you seen any babies? Do you keep them locked up until they're older? Do they grow up really fast like fish do? Are you really nineteen, Haru? Are you secretly twelve or something? Is Mako-chan dating a twelve-year-old?"

"Nagisa!" This time, it was Makoto who broke first.

Haru smiled.

***

"How do you flirt? Do you kiss? Do you hold hands? You almost never hold hands with Mako-chan unless Mako-chan takes your hand first. Do you hug each other? Because you never like hugs, Haru-chan."

"Hugs are a declaration of challenge. You've been telling me that you hate me and want to kill me for years," Haru informed the younger boy.

Nagisa gaped. "Is-- Is that a joke?"

Haru gave him a flat stare.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Too much trouble. You wouldn't have stopped anyway."

"I would have! I will! Oh, Haru-chan, I'm so sorry! How can I make it up to you?"

"Just be quiet and leave me alone for a while, will you?"

"Of course!" Eyes watery with apologies, Nagisa hung his head.

"Nagisa!" Makoto cried out, but the boy ran to the front of the restaurant where Rei was still deciding on his order. "Haru, that was mean," Makoto chided him.

Haru stared straight ahead. "He was bothering me."

"You need to tell him the truth."

"In a while. I'm enjoying the silence." Haru looked briefly at Makoto. He took Makoto's hand, as if to prove he could.

"You could have just answered his question." Makoto let go of Haru's hand and hooked their index fingers together. He leaned over and whistled a low-pitched set of tones in Haru's ear.

Haru scowled and looked away. Makoto could tell that he was embarrassed. The reversal tickled him.

"Do you want to rub the real things together when we get home?"

"You don't even have one," Haru reminded him testily. Yanking his finger loose, he grabbed Makoto's wrist. _I'll tell Nagisa I lied, as soon as he gets back._

Makoto chuckled. "Is that a yes?"

_Shut up._

  
END.

**Author's Note:**

> [Sweet Reunion](http://archiveofourown.org/works/13502342) (Free!), by kuonji  
> [One For All](http://archiveofourown.org/works/9151117) (Free!), by Val_Creative  
> [Winter Blossoms](http://archiveofourown.org/works/13190385) (Free!), by LifeinFanfiction


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